The present St Mary’s Church (1819) replaced an adapted cowhouse used for Mass from about 1777. But Mass was celebrated in the area some considerable time before that. The Crathorne family maintained the Catholic faith after the Reformation and Mass was celebrated in the manor house. The present chapel, the work of the ‘resident missioner’, Fr George Corless, using funds donated by Ralph Crathorne in 1742, was completed by 1821. The present chapel is ‘of outstanding importance on both historic and architectural grounds. The exterior is modest for a Catholic chapel of its time, but the interior is a remarkably complete example of box pews, gallery and rich Gothick decoration of the highest quality.’

The church is one of three in the area under the pastoral care of Fr William Charlton, Chaplain to the Order.

Tuesday, 12 April 2016

Chancellor of the Grand Priory of Great Britain, Rev. Fr. Mark Lawler SChLJ MMLJ, is one of the speakers at a conference in France to celebrate the 300th anniversary of the death of St Louis Grignon de Montfort at the Chavagnes Studium, speaking on “G.K. Chesterton on Mary and the Church”.

Summer Conference on

"The Virgin Mary

in Liturgy, Literature and Life"

from 2nd - 4th August 2016.

With Bishop Athanasius Schneider

as keynote speaker, on the theme

"The Virgin Mary and the Defence of the Faith"

The programme includes
daily Mass, Vespers and Benediction,

a pilgrimage to St Laurent sur Sèvre

(with the tomb of St Louis de Montfort)

and a meal aboard a former restaurant car of the Orient Express,

plus good Catholic cheer every evening,

and is set to be a great Catholic holiday for intellectual Catholics.

All this in the charming setting of Chavagnes College in the beautiful part of France known as the Vendee, where historically the Faith held out against many onslaughts and is still in strong evidence today, with wayside Calvary shrines evident in every village and town - a testament to the sufferings endured for the Faith.

The Virgin Mary in liturgy, literature and life

2nd, 3rd and 4th August 2016,

Chavagnes International College, Chavagnes en Paillers, France.

A conference on the occasion of the 300th anniversary of the death of

St Louis Marie Grignon de Montfort

“When will souls breathe Mary, as much as bodies breathe air?”

(St Louis Marie Grignon de Montfort)

Conference delegates should plan to arrive on 1st August and depart on 5th or 6th. Various types of accommodation are available at reasonable cost. All meals are provided by our in-house French chef.